Toilet paper roll dispensers generally known in the art, for the most part, employ a center mounted spindle that is most preferably spring-loaded into the toilet paper holder and around which is secured the toilet paper roll through its center hole for rotation of the toilet paper roll to dispense perforated sheets of toilet paper. The use of a spring-biased spindle makes toilet paper roll changing difficult and unwieldy for persons having impaired motor dexterity. Examples of toilet paper roll holders of the above type include U.S. Pat. No. 2,470,030, issued to Habuda, which discloses a toilet paper dispensing apparatus in which the paper roll may be removably supported for rotation for dispensing in a housing by a pair of relatively shallow bosses, each projecting from the end of substantially L-shaped arms and movable through openings in the end walls of the housing. The other ends of the arms are pivoted on the outside of the housing. The bosses normally remain in a position in which they enter a short distance into the hollow core of the roll of paper, but by swinging the arms around pivots, the bosses may be retracted into a position where they are clear of the paper roll, so that the core may be dropped out and a new roll of paper inserted between the bosses. Retraction of the bosses is accomplished by a pushbutton, which projects through the flange of the housing, and which is an extension of a rod which is slidable in a mounting formed by the flange and a lug projecting from the housing. The rod is provided with an enlarged portion, or abutment. A coiled spring, disposed around the rod and tensioned between the abutment and a lug, normally maintains the pushbutton in the outward position. The rod is also provided with a cam slot, and the end of each arm adjacent its pivot is provided with a cam projection which enters the cam slot. The arms remain normally in the position with the bosses projecting into the interior of the housing. When it is desired to install a roll of paper in the holder, the button is pressed, which causes the rod to move inwardly of the holder, whereby the cam slot cams the cam projections of the arms downwardly, causing the arms to pivot about the pivots and swing the bosses outwardly of the housing. Thus, when the roll of paper is inserted into the housing with the hollow core in register with the bosses as soon as pressure on the button is released the arms swing downwardly under the influence of the spring. The bosses then enter a short distance into the core of the paper roll whereby the roll is securely retained within the housing, but is free to revolve on the bosses whenever the web of paper is drawn off the roll.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,932,463, issued to Mau teaches a roll paper dispenser comprising a main supporting housing having a rear wall, top wall, bottom wall and forwardly extending side walls. In addition, a front panel has an enlarged opening. The side walls are provided with opposed bearing seats. One seat has an opening extendible completely through the seat whereby a rotatable shaft is received into the seats with the shaft at one end extending through one seat and exterior of the housing. A roller of rubber, or any other friction or suitable material, is mounted on the end of the shaft and is arranged to be in rolling engagement with the knurled circumferential surface of a disk wheel. A second roller of rubber or other suitable material is mounted on the shaft midway between the side walls. Outward movement of the shaft through the seat is prevented by a suitable restraining member on the shaft that abuts against the inside surface of the side wall. A bracket member having an outwardly extending portion is secured through the outwardly extending portion to the exterior of a side wall and above and to the side of the roller. A bracket has a U-shaped base with the outside of one of the sides extending a substantial distance downwardly and parallel to a side wall. This bracket side is apertured adjacent its free end to mount a pin for retaining the disc wheel. The front panel is slotted to permit extension of a portion of the disc wheel through it and accessible to manipulation on the part of the operator. Secured to each side wall adjacent the bottom wall and in the front portion thereof are cover holding brackets, each provided with a recessed portion. Mounted in each bracket is a pin, the free ends of which extend toward each other. These pins are arranged to mount a splitter tongue under spring tension by a coil encircling the pins. A longitudinal bracket member together with swingable spaced arms are mounted on the pins. A counterweight is mounted on the longitudinal bracket member and used to swing the arms into the dispenser. The free ends of the arms have roll holding elements which extend inwardly at right angles to the arms. These roll holding elements are spaced sufficiently apart to receive each end of a squared core which frictionally engages the center opening of the roll. These arms are also arranged so that their free ends may swing away from each other to readily receive the core and are also mounted at their other ends under spring tension whereby upon engagement with the core, the roll holding elements grip the core under normal spring tension. The arms may be swung outwardly and the roll of paper placed between the roll holding elements. The roll is always in contact with the rubber roller and rotative action of the disc wheel will unreel the paper because of engagement between the wheel and the rubber roller.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,239,295, issued to Simon, teaches a storage and dispensing unit for toilet paper including a tissue holder unit that engages forwardly-extending wall portions forming a seat in a storage cabinet. When seated, the tissue holder unit is resiliently held by detents which cooperate with and engage corresponding male detent members formed in a resilient attachment or backing plate secured to the rear or inner side of the tissue holder unit. The backing plate member is unitarily formed of resilient metal and is shaped in a semi-cylindrical form to be congruent with the back of the tissue holding recess of the tissue holder unit. The external portion of the tissue holder has fixed thereto a pair of arms by means of screws. These arms extend outwardly into the room, and are axially recessed to form seats to receive rotatably the ends of a pair of telescoping central tubes. The telescoping central tubes are of conventional form, with a compression spring therewithin which exerts axial pressure outwardly against the ends to maintain the tube in its recesses. Normally these telescoping tubes are pressed into their seats with sufficient spring pressure so that they are securedly held therein and do not themselves rotate readily. Rotation of the toilet paper roll is permitted by the large diameter of the center core of the toilet paper roll in relation to the telescoping tubes. When it is desired to insert a new roll of toilet paper, one of the tubes may be reduced in length by telescoping one end over the other against the pressure of the internal compression spring and removed from the recess. When a new roll has been placed in the tube, the ends are inserted again into the recesses against the pressure of the internal spring and permitted to snap outwardly into place.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,499,815, issued to Carlin, discloses a toilet paper holder having a curved back portion, semi-cylindrical sides, and a surrounding flange. The flange has, in two of the opposite sides, vertical slits. Lugs are inserted through the slits, the lugs being made of a springy steel. Each of the lugs comprises a substantially rectangular side portion which is formed with offsets. Thus, the length of the side portion is greater than the length of the slit, thereby assuring that the lugs remain in the proper position. The upper portions of the lugs are formed with members that project towards each other and are adapted to engage the tube on which a roll of toilet paper is wound. These projecting members are made of one piece, with the lugs.
While some spindle-less toilet paper dispensers do exist, they generally require the presence of a slot or slit through which the toilet paper sheets must first be guided prior to use. Additionally, during use, the toilet paper sheets may become disengaged from the slot or slit, thus requiring re-threading. Two examples of spindle-less toilet paper holders are U.S. Pat. No. 1,436,990, issued to Lillibridge, and U.S. Pat. No. D156,498, issued to Fomusa.
A need thus exists for a toilet paper holder lacking a rotatable, or otherwise movable, spring-biased spindle which is mechanically complex and subject to breakdown and that lacks a slit through which the toilet paper sheets are threaded. This threading is often difficult to achieve and often results in undesired disengagement of the toilet paper sheets from the slot during use. It is further desirable to mount the toilet paper holder to a wall opening in dry wall or like sheet-like wall material without the need for screws, bolts and nuts, or the like.